My Pain
by x0x
Summary: [What do you think you're doing?][Leaving][Why?][Sakura, answer the ques...] He was cut off when he felt a kunai to his throat.[You’re very annoying]...[SasuSaku]...
1. Chapter 1

**a/n **Ooh..I am bad, I haven't even finished my other stories and here I am coming out with a new one...shame shame on me. But then again, you can't really blame me, just good inspiration XD Yeah, that's a bunch of b/s but w/e. Okay, I thought of this when listening to She Walked Away by Barlow Girls (sp?) Which of course will come into play later in the story...Okay, right now idk if this is gonna be a more-than-one-chap story or just a very long oneshot. I am making a goal of a long first chap but -sigh- this is only a wish. So, please R&R then enjoy! x0x

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Blood. Something people see almost every day in the life of a shinobi or kunoichi. It's something known to everyone and everything, It is a part of life, a part of _someone's_ life. These are the thoughts that ran through the head of the cotton-candy haired seventeen year old as she slashed her wrists with the blade.

One more time.

Two.

Three.

Blood leaked and slowly dripped onto the tiled floor beneath her as she kneeled on the floor of her apartment's bathroom. As she watched the red liquid clash against her pail porcelain white skin, a lone tear drizzled down the side of her face, the only sign showing she was feeling anything. Her eyes were blank, her face calm, and yet her hand was shaking slightly. On the inside, she was smiling broadly. Why? That's a good question. Even a question she couldn't answer.

_For once I control something. For once, I can chose when, where, or why something happens. It's something I have power over._

She shakily stood, the blade still in hand, her wrists shining from the crimson liquid. As she looked up, her eyes came in contact with the mirror. Watching her tattered reflection stare back at her, suddenly a shower of tears drizzled from her eyes as she emotionally broke down.

_Everyday, putting up with this mask of happiness. No. I refuse to do this anymore. I won't...I can't._

She dropped the blade hastily on the counter and turned the faucet of water on cold, high. She began washing the blood off of her wrists and then hurriedly rubbed her now puffy eyes dry. Picking up the blade once more and throwing it in the trash can only a few feet away, she quickly walked out of the bathroom to her room and opened the closet. Shifting things around and moving objects until a she found the pack she was looking for. Shutting the closet door, she dropped the bag on her wrinkled bed and began searching and slamming through draws grabbing any necessity items to take with her.

After what seemed an eternity and only being a half hour in actuality, she zipped close the top of the bag and slung it over her back. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was 11 p.m already.

_Dammit._

She was hoping for at least one extra hour. This would just mean she would have to travel faster and pace herself with her chakra. Sighing slightly, she walked to the front door, made sure it was locked, then made her way over to the window. She gingerly slid it opened, praying it would not cause a lot of commotion and noise. Apparently the gods were on her side tonight as it opened quickly and she slipped out.

Now standing on the fire escape from the window, she closed the window once again and attempted at wiping away any finger prints. Once she was satisfied, she turned away from the window and hopped to a nearby tree. Smiling lightly, she began moving from tree to tree, soundless and effortlessly. Swiftly moving and maneuvering her body between the branches, she stopped when she came to her first destination.

She hopped once again from the tree she was currently in to the closest window and peered inside. _Good, it's the right one on the first try._ Inside, she could see the always loud and obnoxious blonde sleeping while snoring loudly. _Tch. Figures. Even in sleep he isn't quiet. _She smiled at the thought and carefully nudged his window open a bit. Sliding her back pack off her shoulders, she unzipped the top and slipped out a letter. Leaving it on Naruto's windowsill, then closing the window over it and made sure the corner was peeking out on the inside before shutting her back pack once more and hopping back into the trees.

Once again, she was on the move.

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After traveling only a few more minutes, she halted again in her movements and hopped again from the tree she was in to a nearby window. Peeking in the glass, she was dismayed to see that this wasn't the right window. Inwardly groaning, she made her way around the house by walking along the walls until she found the right window. Peering inside, she could make out the form of Ino lying in her bed, the covers over her chest rising and falling with each breath she took. Sakura smiled lightly at the thought of her best friend since childhood. _She's always been there for me. Even through all my rough patches. I'm gonna miss her._ She pulled the back pack of her back again and pulled out another letter.

Placing her hands on the window sill, she pulled up but stopped immediately when it the wood groaned in her hands. Ducking quickly, back to the wall, she waited for any sounds of movement. There were none. She waited a few more moments before peeking back into the glass and seeing that Ino had only shifted and yawned once before rolling over and facing the wall in deep sleep. Letting out her weary breath, she slipped the letter in the crack and closed the window slowly. Turning towards the trees.

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After once again stopping to drop off a letter at Kakashi's house (which was probably the easiest to do seeing as he wasn't even there in which Sakura assumed he had stayed with Anko for the night after going on one of their 'dates') She stopped once again at her last destination. Hopping from the tree, she went to the only window visible at her last destination. Cautiously looking inside the window, she saw what appeared to be a table, two chairs, cabinets, etc. _Dammit._ Opening the window as much as she could while hurriedly trying to move the process along, she was able to nudge it open enough so that she could crawl inside and land on the floor soundlessly.

She stood, and being as silent as possible, she began to make her way to one of the two doors visible in the apartment. Leaning her ear on the first, she heard no nosie whatsoever and opened it slowly. Looking inside through he small crack she allowed, she could see a sink and toilet. Inwardly groaning, she closed the door again and made her way to the only door left and leaned close again. She could hear very little noise emitting from the room but enough to know that someone was in fact in there. Opening the door in what seemed like ages but in actuality only being moments, she looked inside. _Finally._ Slipping inside, she quietly walked over to a night stand nearby. Slipping yet another letter out of her pack, she quietly placed it on the night stand's top and turned to leave.

Walking soundlessly to the door, she turned once more and looked back at the sleeping form.

_Sasuke..._

Smiling lightly, she turned and continued her way down the hallway and out the window, closing it quickly, and in seconds she was off through the trees, making her way through Konoha.

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She started walking when she had finally reached this part of Konoha. As she walked along the stoned road following to almost the end, she stopped when she was met by a figure. She smiled.

"It's a nice night out, good for a stroll. Don't you think?" She asked pleasantly. The figure frowned, eyes shining in the darkness of the night.

She spoke again "Yeah, the weather's great tonight. Don't you think so too?"

Silence.

"Sasuke?"

He glared. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked quietly, voice filled with tension. She smiled casually. "Leaving." She said this as if it were the most normal thing to do. His glare deepened. "Why?" he asked, voice dripping with something Sakura was immune to. "I'm not wanted nor needed here. So you tell me, why? Why should I stay? After all, no one wants a burden." She smiled lightly now, eyes drooping, she was absolutely care free and he was absolutely livid. "Why would you do something as stupid as leaving?" He asked, the expression of anger dancing on his face. She ignored his question and began walking towards him till she was directly beside him and still kept walking.

"Sakura, answer the ques-" he was cut off when he felt a kunai to his throat, Sakura now standing behind him.

"You're very annoying." She spoke, smirking now, and then hit him on the back of the neck. He fell to the ground, appearing as if he were asleep. She hoisted his body half way up and dragged it over to the bench leaning his body on it until she was finally able to hoist the rest of it up onto the concrete seating. She turned and was about to continue on when she stopped. She thought for a moment before slipping her back pack off once again and pulling out one of the only private possessions.

Holding the photograph at arm's length, she studied the picture within the glass casing. Kakashi-sensei...Sasuke, herself, and then Naruto. She smiled before lying the picture next to Sasuke's unconscious form. Pulling the kunai that had just recently been used only moments ago, she held it stiffly in her hand before slamming the tip into the picture frame. Glass was scattered in a random pattern and the picture now had a kunai sticking out from it that had made it's way through the back of the frame straight through to the bench tearing out the pink-haired female's face from the picture. Smiling broadly, eyes dancing excitedly in the moon light, she turned and began running to the gates of Konoha.

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Tsunade was sitting at her desk surrounded by paperwork currently watching Tonton sniffing through the mountains of paperwork on the _floor_ beside the desk. Sighing, she reached her hand out to the sake draw until she was interrupted by a pounding at (what she assumed as) her office door. Groaning, she called out a "Enter" before shifting her gaze to the papers stacked in front of her preventing her to even see the door. She heard the door slam open and within a second, paperwork was shoved off the desk and onto the floor. A vain popped out fo her forehead before she yelled "Naru-!" but was interrupted when the loud mouthed blonde slammed his hands down onto the desk and declared frantically "Sakura's gone!"

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**a/n **Eh...I wanted a long first chapter but felt it was appropriate to end this here at the moment. I think I started this chapter...Friday the 13th and wasn't home until last night so I ended up finishing this chapter today. My goal is to finish the story today (July 16) but idk if that's gonna happen. My goal is to finish al the chaps and THEN post the story but...idk yet. PLEASE R&R when this does come out... lol, x0x


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n** Okay...It's 11:37 a.m on July 18...I opened this word document and it was originally planned for a I.A.S.W.A.C chap but...I got into the spirit of this after watching episode 109 all morning. -Insert anime sweat drop here- lol. Well, um...hope this comes out good? I don't know, just PLEEZ review! Oh, and about the OOCness, I will explain for any reason if the character is purposely OOC at the end of the chap. An example being Sasuke. I'm not trying to make some characters OOC but some are unintentionally. If you feel the character is OOC, please tell. It might be further explained in upcoming chapters but I'm not sure yet. Thank you. x0x

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Everything was silent for a moment until Tsunade spoke.

"What are you talking about?" She asked in a quiet voice.

"Sakura-chan is GONE. She's not in Konoha at all!" He was yelling at the top of his lungs. Tsunade averted her gaze for a moment, staring at the scattered papers on her desk. Naruto scowled "And what are you doing now, looking at paperwork? Sakura-chan is more imp-" "What time?" She asked. He paused for a moment gaining more self control over her voice. "What?" "What time did she leave?" Tsunade asked, her eyes now baring into his. Naruto was quiet for a moment. "Teme said it was around-" "Wait a minute."

He stopped and gave her a questioning look. "Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke?" Tsunade asked in a disbelieving tone. "Yeah, Teme saw her leave." Tsunade's eyes returned to slits. "He saw her leave?" She asked in a deadly tone. "Yeah but she knocked him out." Naruto said with some pride in his voice. "She's really gotten stron-" "Stop. Just let me get this straight. Sasuke Uchiha had met up with Sakura, she knocked him out, and left the village?" Naruto frowned. "Yes." She was now quiet.

She began drumming her fingers on the top of her desk, her face in a thoughtful position. Naruto now standing straight, arms crossed, grew impatient. "Tsunade-baachan, what are you gonna-" "Get me everyone who was assigned for the retrieval team of Sasuke Uchiha. I don't think this will be as serious as his case was but we're going to play it safe." She said quickly. He looked at her. "I want them in my office as soon as possible. Go!" She said sternly. He nodded quickly and disappeared.

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Within barely a minute, the room was occupied with the ever impatient Naruto, Shikamaru, Neji, Kiba with Akamaru of course, and Choji. Tsunade looked over each member in the room before sighing and sitting straight in her seat. "Alright. Naruto, did you explain _anything_ to them on their way here?" Naruto nodded, his gaze currently occupying the ground, lost in thought. She mentally sighed once again. "As you know, Sakura Haruno, age 16, rank - Chunin, left the village some time last night. Meeting with Sasuke Uchiha near the gates of Konoha, he...apparently made an attempt at stopping her which resulted in him being knocked unconscious and her departure. Seeing as she bares no curse mark and shows no intentions of any connections with the deceased, Orochimaru, we really have no lead as to why she-"

"She felt unneeded."

Eyes turned to the doorway of the office in which Ino stood. Behind her, Kakashi and Sasuke. Ino had tears brimming the edges of her eyes, Kakashi, a frown etched through his mask, and Sasuke appearing as stoic as ever, slightly unsettled even so. The three walked into the room, the men leaning against the wall, Ino standing, the tears finally drizzling down her cheeks. She walked to Shikamaru and sat on his lap, he absentmindedly wrapped a protective arm around her waste. Everyone ignored this action seeing as it was basically a normal thing, them being a steady couple for the past few months. Tsunade sighed audibly again, rubbing her temples.

_Unneeded...she was trained for the past four years, she's become the top medic known just about anywhere...and she felt unneeded? _Her gaze unintentionally landed on the silent Uchiha. She frowned. "Sasuke," she said sitting up straight. "Can you give us an estimate time Sakura left the village." His gaze never left the floor. "Twelve p.m" he stated in his usual monotone. Her frown deepened."Can you give an estimate on how much chakra she had?" He was quiet for a moment. "Three fourths." She scowled. _Dammit. It's already nine a.m She could've made quiet a distance by now...but then again, where does she plan on going?_ She rested her chin on her hands, a thoughtful expression looming over her features. She averted her eyes to Shikamaru. He nodded slightly and nudged Ino as a sign to stand. Doing so, he stood. The rest of the retrieval group stood and rested their eyes on Tsunade.

She sat straight again. "This mission will be the same as the last. The only difference being Sakura. I expect a report as soon as you get back. No further questions? You will leave as soon as possible, understood? Good." After a chorus of nods were seen along with the few "Hai's" she prepared to speak again until she was interrupted. "I'm going." She looked up and was surprised to see she was making eye contact with none other than the Uchiha himself. His appearance was the same besides for the determined look in his facial expressions. She leaned back against the chair, a stern expression on her face. "No." she stated calmly. His eyes darkened into a glare. "Why." Not a question, an order. She was slightly angered at his lack of respect.

"Seeing as you were only brought back to Konoha four months ago, I could say a few reasonable excuses. Besides for that matter, I think you've done enough, don't you?" her words were slightly harsh but then again, what reason did she have to be any easier on him. He had left the village, probably the one and only girl who actually loved him and his best friend, and then had come back and still treated them no better. Now he expected to go and retrieve her? _Yeah, right. _

His glare deepened and she inwardly smirked at his attempts to intimidate her."Matter of the fact is, you're staying here. Got it?" She asked, smiling and yet sending an equally enforced glare towards the sixteen year old Uchiha. He sent a final glare before walking out of her office, an angered aura surrounding him. She smirked as the door closed behind him. She then let her eyes drift to the cabinet on her deskand pulled open the draw.Her eyes widened the tiniest fraction. _Shit. _Her whole stock of sake was gone. Her eyes narrowed once more. _This is a bad sign._

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As she leaned against the wide base of the tree, Sakura slipped a small canteen out of her pack and took a few short sips of water. Raising her eyes to the barely visible sky ahead, she saw the sun slightly through he thick foliage above. She thought of it's position and how the shadows appeared and figured it was somewhere around nine a.m. Frowning slightly, she capped the canteen and slipped it back into her pack. She had made some distance from her once-upon-a-time home but was still displeased at how far she had come. _I hoped to make a farther distance by this time. I'm running behind slightly._

Standing straight, she pulled her pack up from the ground and slid it back into place upon her shoulders. Sighing slightly, she quickly glanced once more at her surroundings before pushing off the forest floor and hopping into he trees to travel once again.

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All of the nin that once stood in the office of the Hokage were now currently standing under the gates of Konoha waiting for Naruto to show up. He arrived only a moment later carrying a kunai by it's handle, trying as hard as possible to keep it still and avoid getting any other scent onto the item. He moved towards the now large Akamaru and allowed him to niff the kunai. Within seconds, the dog let out a bark signifying he had caught the scent. The group nodded, the wordless conversation understood. They were ready.

The group was about to turn and begin their search when the sound of footsteps was heard. They turned their attention to the stoic boy, hands in pockets, small pack on back, come walking towards the group casually. The members of the original group spared each other a glance before Naruto spoke. "You too?" he asked, more so stating with a tone of disbelief in his voice. The boy nodded and received a nod in return from the loud-mouthed blonde. "Welcome to the team." Kiba spoke sarcastically before they turned towards the woods and began.

The boy grunted.

Neji's gaze shifted to the boy as he inwardly rolled his eyes.

_Damn Uchiha pride._

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**a/n **You don't even know HOW MUCH I am resenting this chap. My orignal plot was SO different but then I came up with a diff idea so now the story is gonna change a bit. (Not literally, but just for me seeing as I knew the original plot, for all of you readers, it will be -the only plot-.) I absolutely HATE how this chap was so short compared to how long I've wanted to write my chaps but oh well, I promise (hope, fingers crossed) that the next chap will be longer because it gets to night time and night time is always when things get good. I've got some plans...hopefully... Oh, and of course ,how HARD was it to jus take a guess and automatically know Sasuke was gonna go? I mean seriously, COME ON. He's a Uchiha, Uchiha's get what they want. Oh, and I would like to mention, yes, I am in mourning of Deidara's death T-T NOW, I am off to posting and then off to bed (dad's fault -.-) Seeing as it's 10:20 p.m on the 24th of July. (Late update than hoped, ik.) NOW, for all those who review,

A FREE MAKE-OUT SESSION WITH YOUR FAV CHARACTER!

BUT, Sasu is MINE! -peaks in closet- good, he's still there. Until the next chap, Ja ne! x0x


	3. Chapter 3

**a/n **Thank you for all the reviews. x0x

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"Tell me again." She said viciously. The man in front of her swayed wearily from her intense glare. "The Uchiha left." he repeated again. At this point if looks could kill...

Then, the most unexpected thing happened. Tsunade let out a sigh of frustration before giving a slight wave of her hand. "Just leave." She stated while rubbing her temple with the other hand The man looked up wearily. "Hokage-sama...?" he asked but just barely dodged the bottle that was aimed for his head. "Leave." She said icily before watching as he scrambled out of her office. As he shut the door, her angered expression almost immediately changed to a light smirk, a glint in her eyes.

_Just as expected._

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_I never realized how damp it was here, even though it's so close. I would've thought that it'd be warmer, at least humid. _She felt slightly unnerved from the lack of warmth around her. It was now around what she guessed to be around ten thirty or eleven. If anyone had seen her at that moment, they would have received a heavy glare which could be due to the fact that she was annoyed seeing as she wasn't covering much ground in the amount of time. _Time has been passing so quickly and I feel like I've been standing still. _

In actuality, she had made good ground, seeing as she had left quite some time ago and had already made it this far.

_Almost there, almost..._

She stopped for a moment as she came across a marsh. She was immediately filled with disgust.

_I hate this._

She looked down at herself and sneered. _I couldn't have worn long pants, at least once. What. The. Hell. _Inwardly groaning, She shifted the load on her back and began trudging through the muck. "This is so...I shouldn't have to...What the hell..." She mumbled angrily. Not even a minute later and she let out a screech as she fell face first into the disgusting mess.

Groaning slightly as she lifted herself out of the thick substance, she picked up all her belongings and stood shakily. Sneering, she began her trudge once more while she made an attempt at calming herself down.

_Life sucks._

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As she stopped from her run to catch her breath,the pink haired female wiped the sweat from her brow pushing away the hair that had clung to her forehead.She paused a moment more and glanced quickly at the sky mentally noting that it was somewhere around ten thirty and eleven. She had been nonstop in her run since her last water break about two hours ago. She was slightly annoyed at the fact that she still hadn't made acceptable ground for her standards and was slightly peeved that she had no structure of a pln yet.

_I left Konoha for a reason but what now? I obviously can't go back but how will I manage out here? I need shelter, food, clean water, and I'll need new things once and a while meaning I would need a way of obtaining money. Then, after ALL this, I still need to watch my back to make sure I'm not found._ Groaning audibly, she thought of the possibilities of her actions. _What would happen if I was caught? Would the consequences really be that bad? Why didn't I just- _She caught herself in time before shaking her head, a scowl on her face.

_No. Even if I have to suffer the consequences, Konoha had nothing for me. There was no way I could stay there. Too many distractions... _A smirk came to her lips as she thought of the irony between her own case and another's.

_Great, now I'm starting to think like him. _

Chuckling slightly, she hopped up again before returning to the hardened expression she once bore. Pumping chakra back into her feet, she was gone in a blur.

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"Do you see her yet?" Called out the agitated blonde.

"No, we haven't caught sight of her yet. How's her trail?" The Hyuuga called back.

"...Still pretty strong. It'll probably take us an hour or two at the most to reach her. After all, she did leave nine hours earlier. " Kiba replied. A few 'Hns.' were heard, others kept silent but nodded none the less.

_I don't know why you left, but we're coming soon Sakura-chan. _Naruto thought before spreading more chakra to his feet and picking up his pace.

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It was now twelve'o'three exactly. Sakura had dug to the deepest depths of her backpack when looking for her second canteen and had been lucky enough to find the dust coated wrist watch, therefore securing it tightly around her wrist as a reminder of how much time had been wasted. _Faster, faster. You're a disgrace, going so slow... MOVE! _She constantly repeated.

She had to admit, she felt more secure at the thought of the ticking momentum of her past wrapped around the flesh of her wrist. Unfortunately, she also thought of it as a reminder of how much wasted time had been spent, how slow she had been, how much time she probably had before she met up with someone she'd rather not see. _I was so stupid, why the hell did I leave the letters? It probably could've gotten me a few more hours. Stupid, stupid, STUPID. Sasuke would've never...oh damn, he was probably the first to say...shit..._

She mentally scolded herself as she bounced throughout the trees to an unknown destination. As her thoughts turned to those of her village, she physically stopped in her tracks as her jaw dropped. _Oh my Kami...I never covered my trail. _She balled her fists and growled at her stupidity. _I must be the BIGGEST idiot Konoha could've EVER been 'graced' with the burden of 'producing' to the rest of the shinobi world. _

She cursed loudly before placing her hands together and forming rapid seals.

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"She's stopped." Kiba stated, causing the group to halt a moment. As they stood, Kiba slit his eyes as a sign of weariness, hoping to understand what this crazy chick was doing. Suddenly, he cursed loudly before shaping his hand into a fist and pounding it into the tree's base he was currently standing upon.

"Dammit!" He cursed loudly. The group's attention was quickly brought to the aggravated male. "What?" was chorused between the boys.

The annoyed dog owner growled out through his teeth "She cut off her chakra release."

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As she dropped her arms to her sides, she lightly frowned and let out a small sigh. She had felt vibrations through the tree she was standing in that had been lead from the ground and started at what she guessed, quite a few miles away. There was no way in hell she would lie to herself and say she hadn't, it was after all an honest fact. She also couldn't say she was unnerved at the fact that she could recognize six faint chakra trails. That would also be lying, and as many knew, Sakura Haruno was never one to lie.

Once again beginning her journey, rapidly increased her amount of speed while using no chakra at all, seeing as she was still trying to hide her appearance to the other's searching. She continued on through the trees hoping she could pull this off as long as possible while playing 'keep away' from her past friends. _Maybe if I can get far enough away from them, I'll try take the risk of using my chakra, at least to get me far enough._ She thought hurriedly as she increased her pace again.

She frowned as she ran, now being stuck on the ground as she was, she wouldn't dare venture through the trees. Even the tiniest disposition of her foot on a branch could result in her getting injured and having to waste and release her chakra to heal it or her having to save herself by using chakra and blowing her cover. Either way, it was a lose-lose scenario.

As she was thinking, she hadn't noticed the upcoming tree that she was steadily heading straight towards. As her thoughts finally came back into focus, she saw the tree and took a turn at the last minute. What she had not expected was to bump into something...more so some_o_ne and fall flat on her butt. Fearing that she had met someone from Konoha she kept her eyes and head directly south so that she was staring at the ground as she listened to the clearly pissed off person lift themselves from the ground.

Barely moving or breathing, she awaited the person to stand and notice her presence. As she waited for hem to lash out, to strike, to do anything, she nearly toppled over once more when she heard the unexpectedly familiar voice say

"Never thought I'd see you out here, ne Sakura-chan?"

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**a/n **Well, I waited till the end of the chapter to wright the long authors note.

Was that a sorta cliffhanger or what? The plot is now thickening!!! (Does happy dance) and I am SO pumped up! I'm thinkin bout startin the next chapter now but I won't set out false hopes by sayin some crap like "Oh yeah, it'll DEFINITELY be out tonight!!!" -Sigh- Yes, this is one of my fantasies. As for this chap, I KNOW. I mentioned the letters again and yes, they will be mentioned soon and yes, I probably will tell you what they said. But then again, I have no clue. ONCE AGAIN, NO structure WHATSOEVER for this story.

I would like to say a BIG thanx to:

**sakura the lover**

**Kiri Yumiko**

**rayray-rchl-chan**

**dragondreamer99**

for reviewing the last chapter. As promised, a free make out session with their fav Naruto character!!! Woot Woot! And for all those lazy people who read but didn't review, PLEASE do!!! You don't know how much it means to get more reviews! It's just awesome to me, I don't even care if it's a flame saying "Your story sucks ass, get a life." as long as I know I'm getting feedback! Oh, and sorry for the late chap, it would've been out sooner but...I don't know, the next chap will be out a.s.a.p! Thanx again, x0x


	4. Chapter 4

**a/n** Thanx so much for the reviews! I'd like to thank **dragondreamer99** and **sakura the lover** for reviewing more than one chap so far. I know, it's only the beginning of the story really but to show my thanx, I'd like to send them a gift. That being a sneak peak of the next chap as soon as I start it so for you two awesome authors, watch out for a message from x0x!

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The pink haired female couldn't help but gape at the women in front of her. It had been so long since their last encounter, feeling like an eternity between the two. The blonde stood in front of her, hands on hips, a playful grin occupying her features. She finally let out a huff of breath accompanied by a roll of her eyes. "Jeez Saku-chan, I wouldn't have thought you'd be this quiet compared to the last time we saw each other. Come on." She held out her hand in which Sakura took thankfully.

"Sorry..." she muttered out quickly before dusting herself off and returning her friend's grin with one of her own. "Um...why are you here?" She mentally slapped herself. _What kind of question was that? _The girl across from her laughed seeing her friend's expression. "Mission business." She groaned slightly. "You think my work load would've lightened up, I mean come on, I haven't been home in forever. The weather change doesn't help either." the last part was muttered from the annoyed female in which it was Sakura's turn to laugh.

"I know right? Well, what can you expect. Things are getting rough around the edges, no thanks to Akatsuki and the rest of 'em." The girl nodded. "Definitely. So, what brings you around here?" Keeping the cool appearance she held but hurriedly thinking through any possible excuse, she quickly replied "Same. Mission business." She said smoothly. The blonde nodded. "Mhmm. Hey, wait." She shifted her head towards the direction behind her. "Aren't those your friend's chakra signatures? What, are you waiting up for them?" She asked.

Sakura quickly shook her head, a small smile on her face at an attempt to keep a calm appearance. Of course, on the inside, she was having a mental meltdown. _What the hell can I say?!? "Actually, I'm trying to get away from them seeing as I've now become a missing nin and betrayed my village."_ _YES, that would blow over wonderfully._

"Actually, I'm trying to get away from them." Sakura said. Temari cast her a weird glance that could be translated as 'Care to explain?' She sighed. "Well, Tsunade-sama assigned me a mission to test...the abilities , so-to-speak, of my fellow nin. To do this, I had to leave the village and become a 'missing nin'. Tsunade has now sent some nin to come retrieve me. The only thing is, they don't know this is all a mission. The original plan was for me to change my appearance, go to a new village as my stationary village for the time being, and get a job under some high power position in that village without getting caught. You know, just to see how long I could pull the charade off before the nin finally found me."

Temari was still looking at her wearily. She sighed again. "It's all a test. But..."

She trailed off and put on a look of discontent before continuing. "Now that I've been found by you and you know the plan...Which, I'm sure you won't tell anyone," She added quickly and saw Temari nod in response. "The mission is just going to get harder, I mean, right now I'm kinda...stuck where I am seeing as they're all so close...I guess I'll just have to abort the mission now..." She trailed off and turned, as if she were going to the approaching group when Temari grabbed her shoulder. "Wait." she said quickly.

"Why the hell would you do that? Just come to my village! I'm sure no one would mind, you can probably get a good job too, all I have to do is put a word in with Gaara and you're all set. You can even stay with us. Hey! Gaara's been needing a new 'assistant' or 'secretary', which ever term you prefer, but it's a perfect job, what do you say?"

Faking the appearance of thought, she inwardly smirked. _This is too easy. _"Well...I guess, as long as I'm not a burden." Damn, she hated that word with a passion...

"No, it's no problem at all. But look at you, no offense Saku-chan but you're a mess. Come on, if we hurry, we'll be able to get away from them without them noticing as much, just keep your chakra masked and keep a quick pace." Sakura nodded in response before they set off.

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"What do you mean you lost her trail?!? COME ON! There's gotta be some way we can get it back!" The angered blonde was now yelling at the brunette haired dog owner who was currently leaning against a tree with an apparent look of annoyance grazing his features. "I told you...we don't have a chakra trail anymore, we would need to find some other way of tracking her, namely smell. Now if you can give us something with her scent then we're ready to go." Kiba growled out angrily.

Everyone was quiet for a moment until eyes rested on Sasuke. He glared in response. 'What?" No one's attention shifted from the stoic boy. "What?" He asked again, his usual monotone rising in a slightly annoyed level. "She hit you on the back of the neck, right?" Shikamaru then asked. Choji and Neji both smirked. Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly. "Yes." Kiba advanced toward him then, Sasuke quickly dodging the dog lover before standing stoic once more. "There is no way in hell anyone is going to smell me." He stated angrily. Kiba's eyes narrowed in response and prepared to run again when Naruto spoke.

"Hey. This probably has Sakura's scent still on it." He was holding up the small white-enveloped letter in his hand with his face cast downward. Sasuke's eyes widened the tiniest fraction when he saw the letter in his teammate's hand and his mind wandered to his own letter he had hidden away in his pocket. Kiba and Akamaru walked to where Naruto was standing and Naruto lowered his hand to Akamaru's level. The dog sniffed the envelope for a moment before letting out a quick yip and wagging his tail.

"He's got it." Kiba said quickly. The group watched Kiba as he and Akamaru shared a 'look' before Akamaru began running, Kiba in suit directly behind him and the rest of the group following steadily, Naruto unintentionally keeping his hand layered over the pocket in which he had slipped the letter back in.

_We've almost got you._

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Sakura watched as Temari's concentrated expression turned to that of an exasperated one. "They're on the move and heading this way. They must've gotten another trail." Sakura mentally cursed. If the group caught up, she doubted her lie would be substantial enough for Temari to believe once they were all gathered together. Thinking it through, she wondered what other trail they could've gotten.

_The five senses...Sight...I doubt anyone could see this far...except for Byakugan...so Hinata or Neji...or...Sharingan..._ She frowned. _Taste...no, that really doesn't cover anyone... Hearing...dog's have good hearing...and sense of smell...Kiba and Akamaru...Naruto's hearing and sense of smell is also pretty acute thanks to the Kyuubi..._ Her thoughts then drifted back to Sasuke. _I doubt that Tsuande-sama would let Sasuke leave the village yet...I mean, he was brought back just a few months ago, he wouldn't... _

Her train of thought drifted back to a few years ago. _Sasuke's retrieval team... Naruto, Kiba, Neji, Shikamaru, Choji... _Her thoughts were stilled as she felt the upcoming presence of her dreaded 'captors'. She then sensed his chakra. Rolling her eyes and inwardly groaning once again, she mentally cursed before gaining speed again and stepping in stride with Temari. "Naruto, Neji, Shikamaru, Choji, and Sasuke are close enough that even I can sense them at this point." Temari cursed audibly before grabbing Sakura by her shoulder's and holding her in place.

Her first instinct was worry. "Um...Temari?" The blonde raised a finger to her lips as a sign of silence to the pink haired female before speaking. "Close your eyes and open them only when I tell you to, got it?" Sakura nodded before closing her eyes. She could then hear Temari performing quick, rapid hand signs before feeling a hand now resting over Sakura's forehead. Almost immediately, a cool sensation similar to water pouring over her skin slid down throughout her whole body until it reached the end of her toes. She was silent until she heard Temari say "Open your eyes."

Sakura slowly opened her emerald orbs and was surprised to be met by a smirking Temari. She cast a weary glance before Temari chuckled. "It's nothing, I just haven't performed this jutsu in a while and it came out pretty good if I do say so myself." Sakura nodded in response before she muttered a quick "Oh." and slipped off her backpack, digging deep inside to look fro the pocket mirror she usually carried. When she slipped out the black oval-shaped mirror, she flipped it opened and gasped at what she saw.

Her once emerald eyes were now a memorizing sky blue that could easily compete with Naruto's own eyes and had the slitted shape that reminded her slightly of those belonging to a cat. Her now waist length hair was a dark blonde similar to Temari's yet even darker in shade starting at the roots and fading into a steadily darkened red at the tips. She had the same bodily figure as before yet her curves were more prominent and she was taller by at least four inches. She closed the compact and turned to Temari, mouth slightly agape.

The blonde across from her smirked at the reaction.

"Your new name is **(1)**Sora no Sabaku, and you're a distant cousin of the Sabaku family. You've been on a mission in various village's for the past few years and just received news that your fiancé has passed away in a terrible attack from Akatsuki. You're currently coming back from the last village you resided in and are going to come back to Sand to stay in our village. Your reason being you just want more of a laid back job and want your mind on things other than missions and killings."

The now-blonde-haired-blue-eyed female quickly nodded. "Hai." She immediately noticed her voice had changed to that of a higher pitch yet softer tone. She cast a glance at Temari that could be interpreted as "Um...?" Temari rolled her eyes. "Duh, changing your look is one thing but it defies the whole purpose if the second you speak your cover's blown." Sakura nodded wearily before speaking again, hesitantly. "Y-yeah...I guess I just...wasn't thinking." She smiled sheepishly before watching again as Temari advanced towards her. "What are you doing now?" Temari had gathered chakra into hr hands and was now grasping Sakura's arm semi-tightly. An immediate wave, similar in feeling to the previous occurrence, of chakra covered her as she felt it mix in with her own and create a chakra pattern all it's own.

Satisfied with her work, Temari stepped back while making sure she had all her things. Sakura began picking up all her own things before strapping her backpack on her back and turning towards Teamri. "That took up some time. They're probably closer by now and we won't have much time before they catch up completely. There's a river near by. Let's travel near it, if necessary, in it. Your scent will be somewhat washed away and we can say that it was just a precaution since there's always the chance of an assassin coming for you."

Sakura nodded before sending a smirk to the other blonde female. "You're a genius sometimes, you know that?" Temari smirked back. "I think you mean all the time." Sakura's smirk widened as she faked a look of thought. "Eh, you have your moments." Temari sent a playful whack to the other blonde before they began running towards the river nearby.

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Her scent's slowly disappearing." Kiba called out to the rest of the group. Naruto's eyes narrowed before speaking. "It's true. Even I'm starting to lose her scent." The group quickened their pace and was able to venture for a few moments until Naruto spoke out. "Damn, I lost it." They became hesitant in their steps until Shikamaru spoke out. "Can you sense that chakra signature?" Five heads nodded in unison. "It's familiar...I can recognize it..."

"It's the Kazekage's sister. What was her name...?"

Naruto spoke.

"Temari."

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**(1) **Sora :sky

**a/n **I think there was too much of Sakura's view and a little too little amount-Sakura Retrieval- group. Oh well, things have been explained slightly. How long will Sakura be able to keep up this little fib until they find her? That's a good question...maybe I'll draw Sakura's new appearance and put it on DA...Oh well, we'll just have to wait and see. As for my I.A.S.W.A.C readers, I am SO sorry. I swear, I will update eventually. I just have school in two weeks and haven't finished a book and my mum's on my case so ugh. Just watch out for the next chap, I hope to get it out soon! Please R&R! Thanx!


	5. Chapter 5

**a/n **T.T Thank you for the reviews T.T

Um...I would start this chapter but I felt like pointing out my stupidity before I started...

I had just finished the chap and was looking at the live preview up on FF when I realized "What were they getting her scent from?" and then I thought and realized "Oh, her clothes, right." It took me a few minutes but then I'm all "0.0 BAKA BAKA BAKA! WTF WAS I THINKING? HOW COULD I FORGET THAT?" So I had to come up with something about her clothes... and omg, while writing this author's note I figured out what I would do... Yes!!! Okay, please R&R!

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They had neared the river and were now walking alongside it. The chakra signatures of the upcoming group were getting closer and closer with each passing seconds. Sakura and Temari hadn't failed to notice this but were not worried really. They had the disguise, the chakra pattern, and a good-enough excuse for there doings. Of course, Temari was probably the more confidant one of the plan. After all, it's not like she was the one who was lying through her teeth. As the group grew nearer, her worry grew to higher levels.

_I've shut off my chakra pattern, even with a new pattern it's a hazard to use. They're going after my scent...My scent of what? _Unintentionally, she looked down and her eyes widened the tiniest fraction. "Temari!" Said blonde turned. "Hm?" "My clothes! I'm wearing the same clothes!" Temari was silent for a moment until her eyes widened. "Shit. Um, alright. I have some extra clothes in my pack. Take all your things off and throw them in the water, far down the current though, and jump in the water. Pretend you're bathing. I'll leave the clothes out next to the stream for you and set it up to look normal."

Sakura looked at her friend, slightly hesitant, before Temari barked out a quick "GO!" and she easily complied. Slipping off her clothes, her back turned to the other blonde, she dropped her backpack on the ground before looking over her shoulder. Seeing the other blonde wasn't looking, she opened the flap of the backpack and slipped her hand inside soundlessly. Picking out her objective and slipping it in between the pile of clothes Temari had lazily thrown at her, she placed them on the bank before slipping her original clothes into the pack and snapping it shut.

Gathering as much strength that she could without using her chakra, she threw the pack as far as she could before watching it fly through the air. She waited for the sound of splashing water and finally heard it after a few minutes of soaring. She smirked. _Still got my strength. _She shot a quick glance to the figure behind her once more before sliding easily into the water.

Dunking low under the current of the upcoming water, she ran her fingers through her hair and stayed under, opening her eyes to see the blurry view of her hair. She closed her once more and felt the vibrations of the land behind her, vibrating up through her back. She could feel the waters current rocking the land, sending a small vibration throughout her as the pounding of her 'friends' feet hitting the ground around her sent a various amount of vibrations through the dirt. Suddenly, there was a halt and she knew that they were here.

Her friends had finally arrived.

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The group stopped once more as Akamaru sniffed the air. He barked out a quick yip before turning around, uncertain. Naruto became agitated. "What? What is he saying?" Kiba scowled before turning to Naruto. "Her trail was close but now it seems that it's moved quickly and is fading all at once." The group stood still for a moment until Shikamaru spoke. "Temari-san's in the area, right? Let's, I don't know, ask if she's seen her or something. Maybe it'll do some good." An exasperated sigh was heard before the group set off again.

Just a few moments later they had arrived at the bank of a river and were standing at it's edge. "Can you sense it?" The group nodded. They could sense a very slight chakra signature nearby as Temari's neared. The walked along the edge until they saw something underneath the water's surface. "Back up. It's coming." The group did so and watched as some thing rose to the surface.

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As she lifted her head out of the water, she turned and listened. The sounds of the forest around her were silent as she lifted her body out of the water and wrapped the towel around her slender body. She could feel the chakra signatures of her old friends. She then noticed Temari's chakra nearing their's. _What the hell's she doing? _Groaning audibly, she picked up the clothes Temari had given her and slipped them on quickly. The outfit the fan-baring blonde had brought consisted of a black pair of cargo pants along with a maroon tank-top. She raised an eyebrow before shrugging and slipping the outfit on. It fit snugly, showing off every asset of her body. Mainly her curves.

_The reflection of the water's definitely doing justice. _She thought before rolling her eyes. She looked down at the ground again before kneeling and picking up the parcel she had plucked from her pack. (Many p's, no?) It was a black ribbon with a tear shaped ruby hanging from it. She had cherished the gift ever since her parents had given it to her, seeing as they had passed on an unfortunate mission only a two years prior. She gently picked it up and tied it behind her neck before standing, dusting off her pants. She smirked before sitting down and leaning her back against the base of a tree, arms crossed, eyed closed. _Now I just have to wait for them...I hope Temari isn't too mad. _

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"It's her scent, we're positive. This is obviously her backpack." Choji was holding the backpack by the strap as Akamaru sniffed the bottom. The group's gaze was currently transfixed on the sack as water droplets rolled down it's sleek sides. They carefully slipped it open and shifted through all the belongings.

"Clothes...water...food...all the necessities...nothing more..." Neji muttered as he gazed at the drenched material with his Byakugan activated. They stood there for a moment, silence overcoming the group until Kiba shifted and asked "What now?" They were quiet once more until the voice of a familiar blonde broke through the air. "Hey." They all turned to see the fan baring blonde watching them, a smirk ever present, hands on hips, a teasing expression lying on her features.

She easily slid off the boulder she was standing on before striding towards them. "Well?" Eyeing them up and down she finally stopped and crossed her eyes, an eyebrow raised. Naruto finally spoke. "Mission business." He replied curtly. Her eyes narrowed. "Oh really?" Mind dishing out some details?" She asked. Naruto gave her a skeptical look before smiling. "Of course. I understand. Although, I haven't seen you Konoha nin around in a long time, what gives?" They were quiet for a moment until Shikamaru spoke. "You pry a lot, hm? Whatever... mind if we ask some questions?" he lazily drawled out.

She shrugged before leaning against a tree. "Shoot." He rolled his eyes before speaking. "Have you seen anyone around? Anyone suspicious or anything sorta outta place?" He asked. The blonde had a look of thought before responding "No, can't say I have. But then again, that's just my view. I mean, she could've but-" "Wait, _she_? Shewho?" Naruto asked. Temari rolled her eyes. "My traveling partner." The group cast glances before Neji spoke. "May we ask her?" Temari spared a glance to the coffee haired boy before sighing lightly and nodding, then standing up fully.

"She's not to far away at the moment but she might still be bathing. Follow close but not that close." She said before turning, striding quickly through the trees. The group of boys followed quickly, not wanting to lose sight of the blonde ahead.

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"Sora!" She heard her 'name' being called and lazily called back "Yeah?" She heard a few murmurs before the sound of her 'cousin' stepping into the clearing. "Hey, get up. I've got some people here to see you." She lazily opened an eye before shifting her body and hopping up from the ground. She strode casually towards the group and lifted her arm to give a slight wave. "Sora no Sabaku. How may I help you?" She smirked.

It was silent until Shikamaru stepped forward. Muttering a quick 'troublesome' before extending his hand to shake, in which she did, he finally spoke. "Shikamaru Nara." He shifted his head in the direction of the group. "There's Neji Hyuuga, Naruto Uzumaki, Choji Akimichi, Kiba Inuzaka, and Sasuke Uchiha." Each boy either 'hned' or nodded at the mention of their name. "We've been on a mission searching for someone and we just need to ask a few questions." She nodded at the boy before placing crossing her arms and standing straight.

Shikamaru glanced at the men around him before sighing and slouching slightly. "Have you seen anyone peculiar? Anyone or anything that seemed out of place or unusual, anywhere?" 'Sora' gave a looked of thought before shrugging. "Not really. There was nothing that-" "Hey." She looked up to meet the gaze of azure blue eyes. "Kiba. Her necklace." He nodded and leaned his head forward.

Now, seeing as this was Sakura, she clearly understood this act as Kiba picking up the scent. But think again. To any other random women who had just met a group of people who started interrogating you, what would you do if one of those people leaned forward and started sniffing you right near your chest?

Yeah, thought so.

She widened her eyes and forced a blush to rise up on her cheeks before slapping the brunette across the face and yelling "PERV!" He immediately turned away, rubbing his aching cheek and whispering a stream of curses in a heated tone. She put on a look of shock mixed with anger before crossing her arms over her chest.

"We're sorry. Kiba-" at the mention of his name, he sent a sneer Neji's way. "-was a little hasty in that action. We had meant that the necklace you are wearing is something we've seen our objective wearing. Would you mind if...?" She frowned then, narrowing her eyes, but nodded none the less and pulled her arms back to untie the ribbon. She gently handed it to them, a suspicious appearance on her face, nervousness bubbling inside.

She made positive to avoid Temari's gaze, she hadn't exactly _told_ the blonde that she was keeping something meaning the blonde had no idea for an excuse at this point. Kiba turned, a frown marring his face before taking the necklace and holding it out for Akamaru. The dog sniffed it for a moment before growling slightly and then letting out a quiet bark. Kiba looked up. "This is her necklace, definitely." He said while staring intently at 'Sora'. Temari shifted slightly, sending an aura of some mixed emotion Sakura was too busy to recognize before she shifted on her heel.

"What I was trying to say was, no. I haven't seen anything suspicious around _here. _But while a was bathing a while ago, I saw that-" she pointed to the necklace in his hand "-floating down the current. It looked nice. I hadn't known you were looking for it." She said cooly. The group exchanged glances before Kiba moodily thrust the necklace towards Naruto. "Well?" He picked it from Kiba's palm and stared at it for a moment. Finally, he sighed before handing it to her. "You can have it, I guess..."

She nodded and muttered an "Arigato." before taking it and tying it back around her neck, still showing the cool appearance. Inwardly, she was sighing. She had known that Naruto knew how much value that necklace had to her...to Sakura... He was probably wondering why she would've given it up. Anything else was possibly reasonable, but when it came to the one thing she treasured the most...

Temari frowned before speaking. "Well, we're sorry we couldn't be of much assistance but we really have to get going. We were supposed to be back by sunset and with this delay..." She trailed off and Shikamaru nodded. "Thank you for your time. Come on." A chorus of "Hai." was heard before they disappeared into the tress above. Temari turned to her "Let's go Sora." Sakura inwardly cringed. She knew that Temari was probably annoyed at the fact that she had almost blown their cover. Of course, she wouldn't say anything aloud in fear that someone, anyone, could hear.

She nodded and muttered a quick "Hai." before turning.

They set off once again.

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"That hurt like hell!" Kiba cursed loudly as he rubbed his still sore cheek. Neji smirked and while Shikamaru and Choji both grinned as Kiba shot them an icy glare. "Shut up." He said, still grumbling under his breath. Naruto and Sasuke were currently ahead of the group. They unintentionally met each others gaze before averting their attention to the trees ahead. It was silent except for the bickering of the four boys behind. Finally Naruto spoke in a hushed voice even Sasuke strained to hear.

"What do you think?" he asked quietly. It was silent for a moment, Naruto thinking he would not receive a response until he finally heard the monotone voice say "I have doubts." They shared a quick glance before Sasuke looked away, his thoughts on his pink haired teammate.

Although he would never admit it aloud, he and Naruto had somehow created a truce between each other. They had come to a sort of agreement with each other which had resulted in any grudges being dropped and any 'hard feelings' dying out. Of course, they would have occasional spars against each other, still continuing their arguments of who was stronger than who and such. It had come to a point that neither would admit but yes, they had become best friends.

Of course, this was absurd to admit resulting in neither saying it aloud although they knew.

Too bad they'd never realize that they were both similar enough to feel some hint of worry nagging their insides over their missing teammate.

_Where are you Sakura?_

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**a/n** It's been a while...lol... a week and one day so I guess it isn't too bad... But, anyway. They have made it past the retrieval group! And they all met Sora! Looks like Kiba ain't to fond of her though, lol. And...this chap reached 5 pages! Usually it's 3 or 4 but this one's like, exactly five. WOAH!...Ik, I am over excited but I'm totally drained of energy...ttyl!

OH! (Btw, jus hit 6 pages) I have been thinking. I need votes.

Should this be a SasuSakuGaa or GaaSakuSasu?

I need to know! Tell me in a review! Ja ne!


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